Jailed Serial Killer Chops Off Finger With Plastic Knife to Send to Judge

Ivan Milat, Australia’s most notorious serial killer who murdered seven backpackers in the 1990s, cut off his finger in jail and tried to mail it to a judge at the country’s highest court.
The 64-year-old is serving seven life sentences for the murders of the backpackers — including two British women and three Germans — at the Supermax maximum security prison at Goulburn, 125 miles south west of Sydney.
On Monday afternoon Milat, who has a history of self-harm in jail, was reported to have used the serrated plastic knife that came with his meal to sever his left little finger, then placed it in an envelope addressed to a judge on Australia’s High Court.
He handed the envelope to a prison officer, who quickly arranged for the prisoner, and his detached digit, to be transferred to a local hospital under extremely tight security.
Milat was reported to be calm and not showing any symptoms of shock, despite having just cut off his own finger. In the hospital under the guard of four Extreme High Risk Escort prison officers, doctors assessed the mass murderer’s finger and deemed it too late for it to be reattached.
The NSW Corrective Services Commissioner Ron Woodham told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper that he had no sympathy for the prisoner, who has repeatedly mutilated himself in efforts to try to escape jail and protest about his prison conditions.
“He probably couldn’t count to ten anyway before the incident,” Woodham told the paper.
He added: “Whether Ivan Milat has decided to sever his finger or not doesn’t alter the fact that he is a serial murderer who will die in jail.”
Milat has previously threatened suicide and swallowed razor blades, staples and part of a metal toilet chain in what were seen as attempts to be transferred to hospital to try to escape.

ORANGE, California — A 13-year-old boy who never fully recovered after he fell from a Disneyland children's ride in 2000 died on Monday.

Brandon Zucker was 4 when he fell from the Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin ride in September 2000. The boy was dragged underneath the car, causing serious internal injuries, cardiac arrest and brain damage.While pinned under one of the ride's cars for several minutes he suffered a ruptured diaphragm, a collapsed left lung, a torn liver and spleen, and a fractured pelvis. He was in a coma for several weeks.
On Sunday morning, Brandon was found unresponsive at his father's home in Anaheim, and died early Monday at Children's Hospital of Orange County, according to sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino.
Brandon's family reached a settlement with Disney about 17 months after the accident, which did not require Disney to assume blame. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed but ensured the youngster would receive medical care for the rest of his life.
In December 2000, a state agency investigating the accident concluded that a likely cause was a lap bar that had malfunctioned and Brandon's placement next to an opening in the car.
The Roger Rabbit ride was reopened in July 2001 after changes recommended by the state were made, including the addition of bumpers around each car to prevent anything from getting caught underneath.
Disney spokeswoman Suzi Brown said Monday that Disney was saddened about the boy's death. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time," she said in a statement.

Sales Suspended of Caylee Doll Made as 'Tribute' to Murdered Florida Girl

A Florida company said it is suspending planned sales of a wide-eyed doll called Caylee that was made as a "tribute" to a murdered Orlando girl with the same name.

The Jacksonville-based Showbiz Promotions was going to offer the "Inspirational Caylee Sunshine Doll," named after 2-year-old Caylee Anthony, for $29.99 starting at noon Tuesday.

But the company said on its web site that sales have been suspended.
"After reviewing the response to our media introduction of the Sunshine Caylee Doll and listening to the advice of the general public, we feel that is it best to suspend the launch of The Sunshine Caylee Doll," the company said on its Web site, (took out the web site ad because nobody needs to go to that evil place.)

An attorney for the Anthony family had said he was going to call the company about the doll. It wasn't immediately known whether family opposition was part of the reason sales were stopped.

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed doll comes in a "Caylee Sunshine" T-shirt and intentionally doesn't bear much resemblance to the child, according to company president Jaime Salcedo. He said he thought it would be too morbid.Ya think?

Caylee had light brown hair and big brown eyes.

The song "You Are My Sunshine," which the little girl sang in home videos that have been publicized in the high-profile case, plays when the 18-inch doll's bellybutton is pushed.

Salcedo said he planned to donate some of the proceeds from the toy to charity.

This isn't the first time Salcedo has tried to capitalize on events in the news. Showbiz Promotions has also made Sarah Palin dolls and Michael Vick dog chew toys, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.

The company, said Salcedo, wanted the Caylee toy to "be a tribute" to Caylee Anthony, whose body was found by a utility worker in December in woods near where she lived with her mother and grandparents in Orlando. She was reported missing in July.